KOTA KINABALU, March 15 (Bernama) -- The government has agreed to provide an additional day off in conjunction with this year's Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration to appreciate the efforts and dedication of the people who worked hard throughout the month of Ramadan, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
He said the date of the additional holiday is, however, subject to the date of the declaration of Syawal 1.
The Prime Minister said that if Hari Raya Aidilfitri falls on Friday (March 20), the government will set Monday (March 23) as the additional holiday.
"On the other hand, if Hari Raya falls on Saturday (March 21), then the additional holiday will be on Friday (March 20)," he said when officiating the National Consumer Day 2026 here today.
Also present were Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali and his Deputy Minister Datuk Dr Fuziah Salleh.
Anwar said the government's decision to announce the additional holiday earlier was aimed at making it easier for people across the country to plan their respective trips.
"We are giving this Aidilfitri holiday because we see that everyone has worked hard during this Ramadan to celebrate this Aidilfitri with joy and happiness with their beloved families," he said.
The Prime Minister also announced the implementation of the Hari Raya Aidilfitri 2026 Festive Season Maximum Price Scheme (SHMMP) for 15 days, starting March 14.
He said the scheme covers a period of seven days before and seven days after the festival to ensure stability in the prices of essential goods.
"The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living has identified the types of goods that are controlled by location, namely 24 goods in the Peninsula, 23 goods in Sabah and Sarawak, and 22 goods in the Federal Territory of Labuan," he said.
Meanwhile, Anwar said there was a slight challenge of price increases involving red chillies following supply disruptions due to major floods in the exporting country, Thailand.
In this regard, he advised consumers to consider using dried chillies as an alternative while the ministry details the list of controlled items.
-- BERNAMA
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